Derrick Bell quotes
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“I live to harass white folks.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick A. Bell, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic (2005). “The Derrick Bell Reader”, p.471, NYU Press
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“Self-esteem is like a difficult-to-cultivate flower. It requires frequent nurturing that occurs when you keep your word and follow through on your promises.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.49, A&C Black
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“We live in a system that espouses merit, equality, and a level playing field, but exalts those with wealth, power, and celebrity, however gained.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.5, A&C Black
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“However self-sufficient we may fancy ourselves, we exist only in relation -- to our friend, family, and life partners; to those we teach and mentor; to our co-workers, neighbors, strangers; and even to forces we cannot fully conceive of, let alone define. In many ways, we are our relationships.”
-- Derrick BellSource : "Ethical Ambition".
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“Resistance is a powerful motivator precisely because it enables us to fulfill our longing to achieve our goals while letting us boldly recognize and name the obstacles to those achievements.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.65, A&C Black
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“Education leads to enlightenment. Enlightenment opens the way to empathy. Empathy foreshadows reform.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick A. Bell (1992). “Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism”, p.150, Basic Books
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“Black people are the magical faces at the bottom of society's well. Even the poorest whites, those who must live their lives only a few levels above, gain their self-esteem by gazing down on us. Surely, they must know that their deliverance depends on letting down their ropes. Only by working together is escape possible. Over time, many reach out, but most simply watch, mesmerized into maintaining their unspoken commitment to keeping us where we are, at whatever cost to them or to us (Bell).”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2008). “Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism”, p.5, Basic Books
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“Power in the hands of the reformer is no less potentially corrupting than in the hands of the oppressor.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.60, A&C Black
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“Few whites are ready to actively promote civil rights for blacks.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2008). “Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism”, p.4, Basic Books
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“My wife says I spend my life trying to teach white folks. I'm not so sure I'm proud of it, but she's right.”
-- Derrick Bell -
“Slavery is, as an example of what white America has done, a constant reminder of what white America might do.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2008). “Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism”, p.12, Basic Books
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“A rule without exceptions is an instrument capable of doing mischief to the innocent and bringing grief - as well as injustice - to those who should gain exemptions from the rule's functioning.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick A. Bell (1994). “Confronting Authority: Reflections of an Ardent Protester”, Beacon Press (MA)
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“It appears that my worst fears have been realised: we have made progress in everything yet nothing has changed.”
-- Derrick Bell -
“All ethical people strive to choose "right" over "easy" when confronted by situations that force them to choose one or the other.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.37, A&C Black
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“Courage is a decision you make to act in a way that works through your own fear for the greater good as opposed to pure self-interest. Courage means putting at risk your immediate self-interest for what you believe is right.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2010). “Ethical Ambition”, p.18, A&C Black
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“The challenge throughout has been to tell what I view as the truth about racism without causing disabling despair.”
-- Derrick BellSource : Derrick Bell (2008). “Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism”, p.9, Basic Books
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